UK, Japan Concerned Over East, South China Seas Situation

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Four ministers from Japan and Britain voiced serious concern on Wednesday about the situation in the East and South China seas and opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in a apparent reference to China’s maritime expansion.

The joint statement was issued after an online meeting of Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi of Japan, and their respective British counterparts Dominic Raab and Ben Wallace.

“The four ministers reaffirmed the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight above the South China Sea and urged all parties to exercise self-restraint and refrain from activities likely to raise tensions,” the statement said.

China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, where it has established military outposts on artificial islands. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the sea.

In the East China Sea, China claims a group of uninhabited Japan-controlled islets, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. The issue has plagued bilateral relations for years.

The joint statement was issued after an online meeting of the four ministers.


(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Alison Williams/Mark Heinrich)

Categories: Offshore Government Update Asia China

Related Stories

Mitsui’s STATS Lands Malaysian Pipeline Isolation Job

Second Hai Long Substation Heads to Project Site Offshore Taiwan

CNOOC Discovers ‘Vast Exploration Prospects’ in China’s Beibu Gulf Basin

Marine Masters Secures Wellhead Platforms Installation Job Off India

MODEC and Samsung Team Up to Install Carbon Capture Tech on FPSO

ADNOC Signs 15-Year LNG Supply Deal with Osaka Gas for Ruwais Project

Malaysia's Petronas Plans Job Cuts

Japan's Mitsui Eyes Alaska LNG Project

Petronas Preps for Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline Decom Op

Shell Shuts Down Oil Processing Unit in Singapore Due to Suspected Leak

Current News

Chuditch Gas Field Up for Summer Drilling Ops as Sunda Reshapes Ownership Structure

EnQuest Bags Two Production Sharing Contracts off Indonesia

Hanwha Drilling’s Tidal Action Drillship En Route to Petrobras’ Roncador Field

China's ENN, Zhenhua Oil Ink LNG Supply Deals with ADNOC

MODEC Wins ExxonMobil Guyana’s Hammerhead FPSO Contract

India Stretches Bids Deadline for 13 Offshore Deep-Sea Mineral Blocks

Indonesia Awards Oil and Gas Blocks to Boost Reserves

Sapura Energy Nets $22.6M in Offshore Support Vessel Contracts

CNOOC Puts Into Production New Oil Field in South China Sea

Sunda Energy Starts Environmental Consultation for Chuditch-2 Well Drilling Plans

Subscribe for AOG Digital E‑News

AOG Digital E-News is the subsea industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email three times per week

https://accounts.newwavemedia.com